The FreeZa Central mentoring program might be gone – but if you’re a young musician and you have a link to the Northern Victorian town of Shepparton – this could be for you.

Applications are now open for this year’s installment of the SheppSounds youth music initiative – which aims to give young songwriters from Shepparton and its surrounds the chance to record and perform their original songs to a bigger audience.

Now in its second year, organisers are looking for five young solo artists or duos aged 16-21 who either work, live, study or regularly perform in Greater Shepparton to feature in this year’s initiative.

The five chosen performers will be selected by a panel of judges – local performers Briana Lee, Adam Toms and Anthony Tenace – and will record their own song for the official SheppSounds 2012 compilation – which will be released in late October.

They’ll also receive mentoring from established local musicians and perform at a series of all-ages concerts at Shepparton venues Friar’s Cafe and Noble Monks. All the proceeds from SheppSounds 2012 will be split between local charities and a dedicated fund for a similar initiative to take place next year.

To register for the auditions – which will be on June 30 and July 1 – fill out an application form on the ‘Auditions’ page at www.sheppsounds.com.au by midnight, June 24.

Here’s the official promo video for this year’s initiative – which stars Music Feeds’ very own reporter Kiel Egging!

Listen to snipets of the artists featured on the SheppSounds 2011 compilation: